San Antonio Zoo reposted this
❌MYTH: Zoos don’t help animals and are tourist traps ✅TRUTH: Zoos are CRITICAL to wildlife conservation Zoos and Aquariums ACCREDITED by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) have been integral in PROTECTING threatened and endangered wildlife, collecting valuable RESEARCH about animal behavior that forms conservation efforts, and EDUCATING us on what we can do to ensure these animals can thrive in their natural habitats. 💲 In 2022 alone, AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums collectively spent $300 MILLION on conservation efforts and contributed $24 BILLION in economic growth to their local communities 💪 Check out these 4 #ConservationPartners advancing quality wildlife conservation research and education at their zoological sites. Make sure to follow⬇️ Dallas Zoo Houston Zoo San Antonio Zoo Texas State Aquarium
I find the forward-thinking conversation about wildlife, wild places and the interconnectedness of all things amongst AZA accredited zoos and aquariums to be inspiring.
Love the AZA and all the things they do for Wildlife.
Don’t forget about Abilene Zoo who is also accredited!
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St. Mary's Beluga Lab Manager & Undergraduate Research Assistant | FUERTE Ambassador 2022-2024| Psi Chi President F2024 | Psi Beta | PTK | NASA NCAS Scholar '22 | Cetacean research in managed care.
3wI'd also like to add SeaWorld San Antonio to the list, which has been part of important research regarding cetaceans and other marine animals for years, impacting their wild counterparts. So much knowledge has been gained, not only here but at sister parks as well not to mention over 40,000 rescues, direct contributions to conservation, and inspiring others (like me) to enter the marine mammal scientific fields. We are the next generation of researchers and conservationists working to learn more about these species and inform conservation efforts. Projects such as hearing tests with our orcas have been instrumental in creating regulations for boating traffic and anthropogenic noise, to name one. And yes, SW is also a multi-accredited institution which I am proud to support 100%!